Crystalline Sanguine Saga
by PinkPlasticPrincess
Summary: Taking place after the final act, Shiori's daughter teams up Ayano and Inuala, the daughters of Koga and Inuyasha respectively, as well as two human men on a journey to recover half of the Blood Coral Crystal in a rite of passage to celebrate her coming of age as a young woman. OCs needed!
1. Prologue

_**Crystalline Sanguine Saga**_

_**Prologue**_

Twenty-six years or so had gone by since the hanyo Inuyasha defeated the bat yokai Taigokumaru, subsequently splitting the Blood Coral Crystal of the bat yokai clan in half with which he strengthened his Tessaiga. With the Blood Coral Crystal in two pieces and the corrupt Taigokumaru defeated, Inuyasha and his companions could leave the site of the battle knowing that the hanyo Shiori and her human mother, Shizu, would be safe from the bat yokai. Afterall, the cruel leader of the clan had been defeated, and many of his followers were slain, as well. Only a few bat yokai remained, leaving the primary danger to Shiori and Shizu to be the humans of their village.

The human villagers had never been all that accepting of Shizu or Shiori once the latter was born, given that Shizu's lover and Shiori's father was a bat daiyokai by the name of Tsukuyomaru, who tried to keep peace between the village and bat yokai clan before his untimely demise at the hands of his own father, Taigokumaru. But with his father defeated, the tension between the clan and the village decreased somewhat, which lead to the agreement that the two communities would each harbor a piece of the Blood Coral Crystal for safe keeping.

The bat yokai clan, which was now under the rule of a female bat daiyokai, took the left half of the power-depleted Blood Coral Crystal. The right half went to Shizu, who lived on the outskirts of her human village. Much time had gone by, and neither half of the Blood Coral Crystal regained any of its former power. Perhaps this was because the two halves were kept separate from one another.

The hanyo Shiori, the previous guardian of the whole Blood Coral Crystal, grew up into a beautiful young woman that eventually fell in love. She did not, however, fall in love with one of the human villagers, as they had all ostracized her from the time she was young. Instead, she fell in love with a bat daiyokai around her age, one who was born from one of the few clan members that had survived Inuyasha's attack. This male bat daiyokai with whom Shiori fell in love with was called Eiji.

Shizu would tell her daughter that Eiji shared many traits with Shiori's father. Perhaps that was why the hanyo was drawn to him.

Shiori and Eiji bore a daughter together, one that had too much yokai blood to be considered a hanyo, and too much human blood to be considered a yokai. The infant had ¾ yokai blood and ¼ human blood. The term that was coined to refer to her with was "hanpa".

The birth of the hanpa, Emiko, was not considered great news by the human villagers nor the bat yokai clan, though the latter were more accepting of the girl. Whether this was because she was more yokai than human or due to the fact that the remaining clan members were more docile than the members of Taigokumaru's clan was unknown.

Either way, as Emiko was growing up, she was primarily living with her mother and grandmother on the outskirts of the human village where they were less likely to be excluded from either community. Emiko's father would visit often, giving his daughter words of encouragement while running his fingers through her lilac hair that was just like his. Emiko often felt like a part of herself was being stolen away whenever her father left to return to the clan's bat cave, but that was before the hanpa learned how to sprout wings from her back.

Shiori was nervous when her daughter learned how to fly and began to visit the bat cave more and more frequently. She was worried that some of the bat yokai might be a bad influence on her, or that they would ostracize her like Shiori herself had been by the previous members of the clan. However, with Eiji around and a new, trustworthy leader of the bat yokai clan, Shiori's fears were unfounded. There was also a part of her that, deep down, knew that the bat yokai would teach Emiko how to defend herself in their cruel world better than the hanyo ever could. Shiori was obviously older than the hanpa, but Emiko had more yokai blood, and was bound to grow up to be the stronger of the two.

So, Shiori decided. For her daughter's coming of age ceremony, she would have for Emiko a weapon forged from the two halves of the Blood Coral Crystal. It was Shiori's belief that maybe, just maybe, if the two halves were reunited, some of its power would return that could be used to forge the weapon that Emiko could protect herself and others with in their inhumane world.


	2. Chapter 1- Enter Emiko!

_**Crystalline Sanguine Saga**_

_**Chapter 1**_

"Obaasan!" Emiko came to Shizu on the day of her eighteenth birthday. "I want to try something new with my hair, will you help me to pull it off?" She already had two, smallish braids made out of her long, lilac hair adorned with red beads at the ends.

"And what kind of new style would that be?" Shizu smiled, carefully placing some herbs up to hang dry. Her own hair, once raven black, had turned gray with age.

"I would like some looped braids!" Emiko announced to her grandmother, preparing to sit on the wooden floor of their home so that Shizu could access her hair. Before she could, the older woman stopped her.

"Let's go outside where there's better lighting." Shizu told her.

The two relatives sat on a dried out hunk of driftwood not far from their home on the outskirts of the village. "You're finally a woman." Shizu told her granddaughter as she finished making a looped braid on either side of the young adult's head.

"Thank you, Obaasan." Emiko thanked her grandmother, and moved to get up.

Shizu stopped her once more. "You're not ready just yet." The older woman reached into her sleeve, pulling out what appeared to be a small scallop shell. Upon opening it, one could see that it contained several dallops of red lipstick.

Shizu carefully took some of the lipstick onto the pad of her index finger, applying it to her granddaughter's bare lips. After a moment, she pulled away and smiled. "There." She opened up Emiko's hand and placed the scallop shell inside. "This is for you to keep." She closed Emiko's fingers over it, causing the shell itself to close, as well.

Emiko smiled up at her grandmother with her ruby painted lips. "Thank you, Obaasan.. For everything."

The moment was ruined when Emiko's pointed ears perked up at the sound of someone approaching hastily from behind. Shizu peered around her granddaughter to see one of the men from the village running towards them in a hurry.

"Get Shiori!" The man cried out as he neared the women. "We need her help!"

Shizu stood up from the driftwood, putting her hands on her hips angrily. "And why should I beckon her for you? The villagers have never treated my daughter that well, you especially!"

"Please, Shizu!" The villager got down on his knees, begging the two women. "..A yokai's attacking the village! Shiori is the closest source of power that could possibly fend it off!"

"Hmmph!" Emiko rose to her feet, putting her hands on her hips just like her grandmother. "..So you come running to us as soon as those of us with yokai blood prove useful, huh? Well, my mother is away right now gathering food, so you'll just have to beg me for my help, instead!" The girl gazed down at the human villager with a smirk, pointing a thumb at herself.

"Emiko!" Shizu exclaimed.

"Please, I'll do whatever you want!" The man begged, groveling at the hanpa's feet. "Just save the village, I'm begging you!"

Emiko scoffed smugly, sprouting black and purple bat wings from in between her shoulder blades. "Obaasan, please stay here with this pathetic man. I need to teach this yokai a lesson.." The hanpa crouched down a bit before pushing off from the powdery sand of the beach, taking flight towards the village.

"Emiko!" Shizu called out after her granddaughter before lowering her head and whispering, "Please be careful.."

As Emiko soared closer to the village, she could see a gigantic, black worm yokai diving head first into the wooden shack homes of the villagers, destroying them with ease.

"Pretty ugly thing, isn't it?" The young woman said to no one in particular before taking in a deep breath in preparation to use a sonic blast attack.

Emiko let her breath go, a sonic blast firing from her mouth that manifested visually as a single file line of rings being projected down towards the worm yokai.

A plume of dust billowed up from the ground as the sonic blast made impact, causing nearby villagers to cry out and flee the scene. As the dust cloud parted, Emiko could see that a large crater was left in the ground with the corpse of the worm yokai at the bottom.

Emiko lowered herself to the ground, wiping her hands off on each other despite the fact that she hadn't even gotten them dirty. As she did so, angry villagers arose from their hiding places.

"Great, the worm yokai is dead, but the hanpa has destroyed half the village in the process!" Someone cried out.

"We would have been better off fighting the yokai ourselves!" Someone else cried out.

"Get out of here, you barely-human monster!" A rock was thrown at Emiko, which bounced off of the scarlet sliver of armor strapped to her torso. The young woman frowned.

"Morons!" Emiko shouted, angrily clenching her fists. "Would you rather I let the worm destroy you all? Probably, because humans are foolish like that.." She turned away and took flight once more as the villagers picked up more stones to throw at her.

"I.." Emiko whispered bitterly as she flew back towards home. "..I hate humans! All of them except for Obaasan!" She screamed into the sky as a tear of frustration dripped down her caramel cheek. "Humans are evil and selfish.. They're more barbaric than yokai! How can someone as kind and loving as Obaasan possibly be of the same species?" Emiko wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her short, white kimono to hide her tears from Shizu before landing in front of the woman outside of their home.

As Emiko approached the kneeling Shizu, she realized that the gray-haired woman was trembling.

Emiko's violet eyes widened. "Obaasan.. What's wrong?"

Shizu lifted her head to reveal that her chocolate eyes had become cascades for tears. "Emiko.. I'm so sorry.. I couldn't stop her.."

"What are you talking about? Obaasan, what happened?" Emiko asked in concern before she happened to glance up at their home. She gasped when she saw that the roof of their home had been destroyed.

"The young woman that came.. I couldn't fight her off. She overpowered me. She was desperate to get our half of the Blood Coral Crystal.." Shizu lowered her head, clenching her hands into fists on the powdery, white sand. "Oh, if only your mother or father had been here..!"

"Obaasan.. Don't be so hard on yourself." Emiko smiled softly, kneeling before her grandmother. "..I don't understand why you and Mama kept that half of the crystal all this time, anyways.. It's a useless rock, Obaasan."

Shizu reached up and gripped her granddaughter's upper arm. "You don't understand, Emiko.. For your entrance into womanhood.. Your mother and I.. We were going to forge for you a mighty weapon with which you could defend yourself and the ones you love! We needed the crystal for that!"

Emiko's violet eyes softened, subsequently brimming with tears. "Obaasan.. You and Mama.. Have been keeping half of the Blood Coral Crystal all this time.. For my sake?"

"Emiko.." Shizu sat up somewhat and took the young woman's hands in hers. "..You must go to the bat yokai cave, and check with your father and Aoi that the other half of the crystal is alright!"

"There is no need for that." Emiko and Shizu looked to the sky to see Aoi, a female bat daiyokai and the leader of the bat yokai clan, soaring towards them.

"Aoi!" Emiko stood up and rushed over to the all-powerful daiyokai as she landed gracefully upon the beach. As she got closer, the young woman could see that Aoi was holding half of the Blood Coral Crystal, which was glowing a reddish pink color.

"The Blood Coral Crystal!" Shizu exclaimed as she rose to her feet, as well. "It's regained some of its power!"

"Yes-" Aoi ran a tan hand through her beautiful, blue tresses. With the other hand, she held out her half of the Blood Coral Crystal towards Emiko and Shizu. "..It began acting strangely not too long ago. Where is your half of the crystal? I wish to see if it is doing the same thing."

Shizu lowered her head in shame. "Aoi.. Forgive me. I could not protect the heirloom of your people.. It was stolen, just now, by someone who overpowered me."

"Stolen?" There was a hint of anger in the daiyokai's voice, but it did not appear to be directed at the human. "No outsider has ever had any business with the Blood Coral Crystal other than that Inuyasha.. Why now?"

"I haven't the slightest idea.." Shizu lifted her head somewhat. "But.. You.. Would you retrieve the other half? Please, Aoi! I know that you're stronger than the woman who stole my half! Emiko needs both halves for her weapon!"

Softly, Aoi spoke her answer to Shizu's request. "I will not."

Shizu gasped quietly in surprise, staring up directly at the beautiful woman.

"..I will not because retrieving the crystal is something that Emiko must do on her own. If she is to have a fine weapon, she must prove herself to be deserving of it first." Aoi continued, then smiled. "..Emiko. I've watched you grow into a fine young woman. I know that you will be able to retrieve Shizu's half of the Blood Coral Crystal. And what's more.." The daiyokai came closer to the hanpa, placing her glowing half of the crystal into Emiko's hands. "..It appears that this half of the crystal wishes to become the base of your weapon, with or without the other half there alongside it."

"You really think so?" Emiko accepted the half of the crystal from Aoi's hands, gazing up at the daiyokai. "..About retrieving the other half of the crystal and about this half right here?"

"I absolutely mean it." Aoi responded. "The power is in your hands now, Emiko." The three women turned to the sound of someone approaching on the beach. It was a woman resembling Emiko with light blue, almost silvery hair done up in a ponytail.

"Aoi? What are you doing here?" Shiori asked as she came closer to the group. She nearly dropped her basket of herbs when she saw the state that her home was in. "The roof..!"

"Mama!" Emiko called out, moving past Aoi and Shizu to greet her mother.

"The roof! Emiko, what happened to the roof?" Shiori asked, then gazed down at the half of the Blood Coral Crystal in her daughter's hands.

"Our half of the Blood Coral Crystal was stolen, Shiori." Shizu sighed. "A powerful woman came, and I wasn't able to stop her. But look at what the other half of the crystal is doing. It's glowing!"

It was true, the half of the crystal in Emiko's hands continue to glow a reddish pink color. Shiori's violet eyes widened a bit.

"As I told Shizu and your daughter already," Aoi began. "Emiko must retrieve the other half of the crystal on her own. Think of it as a rite of passage into womanhood."

"Yes, I understand." Shiori responded, but she didn't sound too happy about it. "But.. This other half of the crystal that has appeared to have regained part of its power.. Surely we can forge for Emiko a weapon with this half and use the other half of the crystal as a power supplement later once it's been recovered?"

"I think that is a fine idea. But where will you find a blacksmith skilled enough to forge such a weapon?" Aoi asked Shiori. 

"Inuyasha." Shiori spoke softly.

"You mean the hanyo who participated in the shattering of the Blood Coral Crystal? You expect him to be able to forge a weapon for Emiko?" Aoi didn't sound convinced.

"No, but he has a mighty weapon. The Tessaiga." Shiori informed the daiyokai. "Surely, he could direct Emiko to the blacksmith who crafted it?"

"Then it's settled." Emiko began, drawing her plain katana from the sheath on her waist. "I will set out to find this "Inuyasha" and learn who forged Tessaiga. When I return home, it will be with a much mightier weapon than this." Emiko stared at her katana intensely before sheathing it once more. "I think I'd like a sword."

"You don't plan on to leave now, do you, Emiko?" Shiori asked her daughter. "I still have to cook your dinner to celebrate your coming of age!" The hanyo gazed down at her basket of herbs.

"It was my intention to say goodbye to Otousan first." Emiko responded. "I haven't seen him in days."

"Your father is away right now, Emiko. He will be for a few days more." Aoi told the young woman gently, knowing that the news would be disappointing to her.

The disappointment spread across Emiko's face like ink bleeding into parchment. "Of course Otousan isn't here to celebrate my coming of age.. In that case, I will leave now." She responded, heading past the other women towards the direction that her mother had come from. "Mama, Obaasan, Aoi.. When I come home, I will be a changed woman."

_**((This chapter is a bit short, but it's just to set the stage. I need YOU and your OCs in future chapters! Please contact me if you're interested in having your OC used in this story! I need characters to serve as friends and foes alike!))**_


	3. 2- The Wolf's Cub and the Dog's Pup

_**Crystalline Sanguine Saga**_

_**Chapter 2**_

It took Emiko less than a week to discover Inuyasha's whereabouts and even less time to get there with her wings and ability to fly.

As she neared the village where she was told the hanyo resided, Emiko thought back to how nearly all the humans she had stopped to talk to knew who Inuyasha was. They had both negative and positive things to say about him, and the ones that had negative things to say all seemed weary of Emiko.

"You're a hanyo, too, aren't you?" They would scowl. They could tell just by looking at her that she had yokai blood rushing through her veins.

"Just tell me where he is before I lose my patience with you humans." Emiko would often respond, cracking her knuckles bitterly to intimidate them. That tough girl persona would usually get them to speak up.

Emiko was only half surprised to hear that Inuyasha had settled down in his village of residence with his human wife. Hanyos were people capable of falling in love, too, she supposed. Her mother was evidence of that. Perhaps what surprised Emiko the most was that Inuyasha had supposedly settled down at all. Based on the stories she had heard, he didn't sound like the type to want to do that.

As Emiko entered the village, human residents that were out and about stared at her. Some were even shaking.

"A yokai's wandered right into the village!" A woman cried out, dropping her basket of fish. Emiko was tempted to pick up the fish for her, but decided against it based on her usual experiences with humans.

"Someone get Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kagome!" A man cried out before racing off to retrieve any of those people.

"_So Inuyasha does live in this village." _Emiko thought to herself before calling out "Bring me to Inuyasha!" However, as she made this demand, all of the villagers fled. At least, nearly all of the villagers.

"What do you want with my father?" Emiko turned to see an unusual looking woman only a handful of years older than herself pointing a spear in her direction. This woman had silvery white hair and gold eyes, but everything else about her, including her scent, was human-dominated.

Emiko's eyes widened. "You're a hanpa, like me.."

A couple of villagers came running back to the scene, followed by a man resembling the hanpa woman, but with pointed canine ears upon his head.

"Inuala!" He cried out, reaching for the hilt of his sheathed sword.

"D-don't worry, Otousan!" The woman, supposedly Inuala, scowled at Emiko. At least, she tried to. She trembled as she pointed her spear at the other hanpa, the weapon rattling. "I-I'll protect the village t-this time!"

"You don't seem so sure about that." Emiko responded, still stunned that she was standing before another hanpa. "Listen to me, I just wish to speak with Inuyasha."

Inuala's gold eyes widened. She lowered her weapon before her gaze darted over towards her father.

Her father stepped forward. "I'm Inuyasha! What do you want?"

Before she knew it, Emiko was sat down to have tea with Inuyasha's family.

"With all the fuss the villagers were making, I would have thought that the village was under attack!" Kagome, Inuyasha's human wife and miko of the village, told Emiko before serving her a cup of tea. "But it turns out, it was a girl just like our Inuala!" Kagome smiled towards her daughter, who was quietly sipping her tea a few feet away.

"I wouldn't say "just like". Your daughter is the majority human, isn't she? I'm the majority yokai. But still.. We're both hanpa. And hey.. I'm not a girl anymore. I've just had my coming of age and became a woman.. At least.." Emiko averted her eyes. "..I had until I was given a mission to go on as a rite of passage."

Kagome nodded as she took in this information. "The quarter of yokai blood that Inuala has came from her father. Speaking of which, what did you want to speak to Inuyasha about? Is it part of this "rite of passage" you mentioned?"

Emiko reached into her travel sack that she had put together. Out from it, she pulled the glowing half of the Blood Coral Crystal that Aoi had given her. "Do you know what this is, Inuyasha-San?"

Kagome's eyes widened a bit. "That's..!"

"It certainly smells familiar." Inuyasha responded, his nose twitching. "That's the Blood Coral Crystal or whatever, isn't it?"

Emiko nodded. "My mother was the last bearer of it while it was still whole until you freed her from that duty, Inuyasha-San."

"Then your mother.. Is that little hanyo girl, Shiori?" Kagome asked, finally putting the pieces together. That explained the rest of Emiko's unusual appearance. Her tan skin, her violet eyes, they came from Shiori.

"I didn't know her when she was little, but she _is_ a hanyo and her name _is_ Shiori." Emiko responded.

"I guess things worked out for Shiori, then." Inuyasha told his wife as he turned to her.

Kagome nodded, directing her attention back to Emiko and her half of the crystal. "But why is the Blood Coral Crystal glowing faintly? I thought that Tessaiga absorbed all of its power decades ago!"

"I think that it's regained some of its power because it knows that the other half has been stolen and is in danger. That's my rite of passage mission.. To retrieve the other half." Emiko put the crystal back in her bag, a small scallop shell falling out that she didn't notice. "Both halves of the Blood Coral Crystal had been kept all this time in hopes that, when reunited, they would regain some of their power that could be forged into a fierce weapon for my coming of age."

Inuyasha glanced down at Tessaiga on his waist, then glanced up at Emiko and said "I think that your half of the Blood Coral Crystal has regained part of its power for one reason and one reason only.. It _wants _to help you recover its other half. It _wants _to become that weapon for you."

"You really believe that the crystal is acting on a will of its own?" Emiko asked, surprised.

"Don't underestimate objects that are supposed to be inanimate. Tessaiga has acted on its own plenty of times." Inuyasha responded.

Emiko gazed down at her travel sack, the faint glow of the crystal peering out of its opening. "In that case.." She gazed up at the hanyo and dipped her head respectfully. "..Please tell me who crafted Tessaiga. I wish for a superior blacksmith to craft a weapon from my half of the Blood Coral Crystal."

Kagome and Inuyasha's eyes met. They gazed at each other for a moment or two before, in unison, they let out "Totosai."

"You want Totosai." Kagome told Emiko. "He's the man who crafted Tessaiga, and Kibayari, too."

Emiko quirked a brow. "Kibayari.. What's that?"

On the other side of the room, Inuala set down her cup of tea, using her now free hands to stand her spear up right. "This is Kibayari." She spoke in her soft voice. "..It was forged from my father's fang, and Tessaiga was forced from my grandfather's fang. I'm certain that the blacksmith Totosai will be able to forge a weapon out of your Blood Coral Crystal for you."

"How is Kibayari doing, Inuala-Chan?" Kagome asked her daughter. "It isn't in need of maintenance, is it?"

Before Inuala could respond, her father scoffed a bit. "How could it be? She only uses it for spearing fish!"

Inuala lowered her head in shame. "..I'm sorry, Otousan.. I will try to do better."

Kagome glared at Inuyasha, who immediately became unnerved and tried to reassure his daughter that he wasn't disappointed in her. "Inuala.. I didn't mean it like that!"

As an argument broke out between Inuyasha and Kagome over the upsetting of their daughter, Emiko sighed and drank from her cup of tea.

Night had fallen, and a while later, Emoko was sitting on a grassy hill with her back to the village as she gazed out into the forest in front of her. The wind blew past her, carrying with it the scent of Inuyasha.

Inuyasha sat beside Emiko on her hill, silent for a moment or two before asking "Gonna stay the night?"

"Might as well. It's getting late and I'm on a human sleep schedule thanks to my family." She laughed a bit, referring to Shiori and Shizu. Emiko brought her knees up to her chest, resting her chin upon them.

"Hey.. Emiko." Inuyasha began, gazing off into the forest instead of making eye contact with the young woman. "Do me a favor, will ya?"

"Huh?" Emiko lifted her head a bit and turned to him. "..Inuyasha-San?"

"..Take Inuala with you on your journey." The wind picked up, billowing the hanyo's silver tresses in its breeze. "..She's lived a rather sheltered life with a gifted miko and a powerful hanyo for parents that are always there to protect her. But I'm worried.. Kagome and I won't always be there. She needs to learn what the real world is like. She needs to get some blood on her knees. She needs to learn how to use Kibayari."

Aoi had said that Emiko was to retrieve the other half of the Blood Coral Crystal on her own. Did she truly mean for Emiko to do it solo, or did she simply mean that she would not be receiving help from Shiori, Eiji, or Aoi herself? Emiko didn't know, but getting the Blood Coral Crystal was most important, right? Besides.. This was a request from Inuyasha himself, the man who had set her mother free as a child. How could she possibly refuse?

"Alright. I'll bring Inuala-Chan with me." Emiko responded, smiling a bit.

Inuyasha rose to his feet. "C'mon, let's head back to the village. It's getting late." The wind suddenly picked up again, carrying two similar yet distinct scents with it.

"..I know that smell." Inuyasha scowled irritably. "But, that other smell.." He tilted his head back and sniffed the air. "..A second wolf? Tch.. That Koga!" Inuyasha set back towards the village in a hurry, leaving Emiko in his wake.

"Uhh.. Inuyasha-San!" Emiko called out before giving chase.

Back in the village, Kagome was laying out the bedding for the night along with Inuala when her eyes suddenly fell on the small scallop shell that had fallen out of Emiko's travel sack earlier. "Hmm?" Kagome held it up to her face, examining it.

"_This couldn't have come from nearby. It must be Emiko-Chan's." _She thought to herself before pocketing the shell for safekeeping.

Inuala suddenly lifted her head and spoke. "Okaasan, someone is approaching."

"Huh?" Kagome turned towards her daughter, and then towards the doorway of their home as a strong breeze picked up. The two women reached for a bow and arrows and Kibayari respectively before dashing outside and finding themselves face to face with two wolf yokai, one male and one female.

Kagome lowered her bow at once when she saw the two yokai. "Koga, it's you!" She exclaimed, and then her eyes fell on the female wolf yokai, who appeared a bit older than Inuala. "Who is this?"

"Kagome!" The male wolf yokai took a step towards the two women. "It's been awhile, hasn't it? You still married to that mutt, Inuyasha?" He towered over Kagome and Inuala somewhat, and the latter's grip on Kibayari tightened.

"Yes, I am, and you're still married to Ayame, aren't you?!" Kagome reminded Koga as he took her hands in his. Seeing this, both Inuala's gold eyes and the green eyes of the she-wolf burned with anger.

"Otousan, is this where you've been running off to all this time?!" The she-wolf stepped forward, seething with anger.

Kagome blinked, and Koga dropped her hands. "'Otousan'.." She repeated.

"What?" Koga turned towards the she-wolf. "I swear I haven't! I haven't been here in ages!"

As the two wolves began to bicker, Kagome put the pieces together. The resemblance, calling Koga "Otousan".. This she-wolf was Koga's daughter.

"Ayano-Chan, do not tell your mother that I came here!" Koga pleaded to the young woman that was a delightful mix of Ayame and himself.

"And why shouldn't I? Okaasan deserves to know that you never loved her or me!" Ayano pointed at Kagome angrily. "You're still in love with the mortal woman, and she's married with a daughter of her own!" She gestured to Inuala.

Inuyasha and Emiko ran up on the scene, the former seething with anger much like Ayano was. "Come to try and steal my wife again, you mangy wolf?" Inuyasha cracked his knuckles angrily.

Suddenly, Inuala was before Koga, Kibayari pointed at his throat. This earned a surprised look from everyone. Kagome and Inuyasha were especially surprised, seeing as their daughter was usually sweet and gentle.

"Do not interfere with my parents' marriage." Inuala told Koga in a voice that was deeper than usual. "..You will regret it."

Before anyone could even blink, Ayano had yanked her father out of the way and had taken his place. "My father interfering with _your _parents' marriage?! Your mother is the reason why my father is unfaithful!" She pointed at Inuala angrily.

A catfight between Ayano and Inuala didn't even have a chance to break out before a masculine scream could be heard in the direction that Inuyasha and Emiko had just come from.

"_The forest where Inuyasha and I first met.." _Kagome thought to herself, gripping her bow. "_..Someone is there and they need help!"_

Masashi sighed as he fell down the well for what felt like the sixth time. For something that was so overgrown with vines, the walls sure were difficult to climb. It probably didn't help that he was wasted.

He felt relief course through his body when he heard several footsteps approaching the old well that he was trapped in. What he didn't expect was for a group of costumed people to peer down at him from the top of the well.

"..Uh.. Nice costumes!" He called up from the bottom of the well. "Can any of you give me a hand?"

The raven haired woman who was dressed like a traditional miko began to tremble as she gazed down at him. "Those clothes.. He's from.."

Masashi blinked in surprise as a tear fell from the miko woman's eyes and splattered on his cheek. "_She sure is a good actress, being able to cry on cue like that.." _He thought to himself.

"Kagome, do you seriously think that this guy came from your time?" The silver haired male asked the miko woman.

Kagome brought her hands up near her face as the waterworks picked up. "It's been over twenty years since I've been able to go back to that time period.. Over twenty years since I've seen my family.."

Masashi moved out of the way as the miko cried into the well. "Um.. I see you're kinda busy rehearsing.. But could somebody please get me out of here? I'm a little drunk.." He tried to explain.

"Okaasan.. Please do not cry." A young woman around Masashi's age put her hands on Kagome's shoulders as the silver haired male suddenly stood up on the edge of the well, gazing down at Masashi.

"I'll come down and get you, but once I do, you have some explaining to do!" He called down.

Masashi scrambled up against the far side of the well as the silver haired male jumped down, landing before him with ease. As Masashi was brought up out of the well, he saw the man that was dressed like a wolf turn to the younger woman that was dressed similarly.

"Oi, Ayano-Chan. I've had enough of this. Are you coming home with me or what?"

Ayano bunched her hands into excited fists. "No way! I'm going to stay and see what happens next!"

"Suit yourself." The wolf man kicked up a cyclone before zooming off towards the mountains.

Masashi blinked. The alcohol was clouding his mind and he could not think rationally. "Those sure are some cool special effects.." He let out in response to how quickly the wolf man managed to move.

Kagome wiped the remains of her tears away on her sleeve, regaining her composure.

"Okaasan, what's going on?" The woman who resembled both Kagome and the man who had rescued Masashi asked.

"I'll explain it to you later, Inuala-Chan. But right now, this man is lost and needs our help." Kagome responded, then suddenly knelt before Masashi. "Can you tell us your name?" She asked him.

"Nakamura Masashi." He let out. "Nice costumes.. If you could call me a cab back home, that would be great." He scratched the back of his head.

Kagome smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that cabs don't travel out here." She told him half-truthfully. "Why don't you spend the night with us? We have extra space."

The silver haired male opened his mouth to protest, but Kagome simply glared at him and he went quiet.

By the time that the group returned to the village, the drunken Masashi had fallen asleep on Inuyasha's back.

"Cripes! Why do I have to be the one to carry him?" Inuyasha complained before putting Masashi down on a spot of bedding next to the wall.

"Thank you for doing so." Kagome smiled warmly to her husband before turning to Ayano, who had followed them back. "Will you be staying the night, Ayano-Chan?"

"Yes, please!" Ayano suddenly dipped her head apologetically. "I'm sorry for the things that I said earlier.."

"Think nothing of it!" Kagome waved it off. "Why don't you pick a spot to sleep?"

Ayano nodded, selecting a spot of bedding in between Emiko and Masashi. Inuyasha watched from the bedding that he and Kagome usually shared. At least _his _daughter wasn't sleeping right next to the strange man that Kagome had invited into their home.

Inuyasha kept watch over everyone as they fell asleep, one by one. Finally, he got comfortable under the bedding next to Kagome, prepared to retire himself. He could fall asleep with the reassuring thought that, the next day, Inuala would leave with Emiko on a journey that would raise her better than he ever could.


	4. Chapter 3- Return of the Saimyosho!

_**Crystalline Sanguine Saga**_

_**Chapter 3**_

Morning had come, and the hanyo Inuyasha was the first to rise. His miko wife was still sound asleep next to him, but she would be waking soon to tend to her duties. His daughter and Emiko were still sleeping peacefully.

Inuyasha glanced over at Ayano, who had fallen asleep next to the strange man that Kagome had invited into their home the night before; the same man who she insisted was from her time. He glanced over at Masashi.

The human newcomer, Masashi, was snoring somewhat quietly, even twitching a bit. He reeked of sake and other alcoholic beverages from the night before.

Inuyasha scoffed a bit. "Damn drunk.." He grumbled, and in doing so, woe the other three people in the room with the most sensitive hearing: Emiko, Ayano, and his very own daughter.

The she-wolf Ayano rubbed her jade green eyes a bit as she sat up from her sleeping area, and then proceeded to lean over Masashi to get a good look at him. She tilted her head from side to side. She hadn't met very many humans before.

The brunette Masashi stirred from his sleep, opening his honey brown eyes. The vision that he saw through said eyes was foggy, and his head pounded like a drum.

"_At least he's not in a coma." _Inuyasha thought to himself. Without even giving Masashi time to wake up properly, he went over to the young man. He nudged Ayano out of the way and began to demand information out of him. "Hey, kid. Are you actually from Kagome's time?"

"Otousan." Inuala began. "He probably doesn't even remember-"

Masashi's head hurt worse from the question. "What? Who's Kagome-" He blinked his honey brown eyes, trying to focus. When his vision stopped swimming, he got a better look at the people around him. There was something off about them.

"Don't play dumb, Kagome is right over there!" Inuyasha pointed to his wife, who was rising from her slumber because of all of the noise that was being made. She yawned and stretched before gazing at Masashi.

"Oh, good morning!" Kagome greeted. "You probably have a hang over and need some medicinal herbs to help you feel better, huh?" The miko was already standing up from her sleep area and going through her herbal reserves.

"That would be nice." The hungover Masashi nodded, though that only made his head pound more. As he got ready to sit up, he got a real good look at the only other man in the room.

Inuyasha stared at Masashi with disapproval as his wife went through her herbs, his canine ears twitching on top of his head.

Masashi poked one of Inuyasha's ears, his eyes then widening in surprise. "_Those felt too real to just be props!" _He thought to himself, then looked at Ayano and Emiko. "_Those nails could rip me to shreds.." _He thought as he eyed the inhuman claws on not only their hands, but their feet, as well. He found himself scooting closer to the wall as his breath quickened. "_How the hell did I get here?!" _He mentally screamed.

Kagome suddenly came over with an armful of herbs, ushering Inuyasha out of the way and kneeling before Masashi. She seemed to be the most normal, and the way that she spoke made it seem as though she knew what he was going through. Because she did.

"I was the same way when I ended up in the feudal era." She smiled, holding a couple leaves out to him. "Well, I wasn't drunk. Here, munch on these. They should help."

Masashi took the leaves with a shaking hand and chewed on them with chattering teeth. "B-but that's impossible, time travel is just-just stories." He looked at Kagome, hoping that she would tell him that it was all just a dream. But judging by her sympathetic gaze, that wasn't the case.

Kagome gazed at Masashi softly, seeing a bit of herself in him. "It's been well over twenty years since I've been able to go back to your time and see my family. It's been so long, in fact, that my _daughter _is old enough to start a family of her own." She chuckled.

Masashi tried to recall his steps from his drunken bender. Most of it was fuzzy, save for the well. "I gotta go back, I just have to. It's just-" He took a breath to calm himself before he started to have a breakdown like he usually did at home or work. "_There's no bathroom to cry in this time."_

Everyone around him watched in surprise. "H-hey now, it will be alright!" Kagome tried to pat him on the shoulder. Even being the mother to a sensitive daughter, she was never good at this kind of thing.

Said daughter suddenly came over to Masashi, sitting beside him.

Masashi began to calm down more easily with Kagome comforting him. "_Arigato_.." He nodded, feeling a bit more at ease.

"I know it must feel strange.. Being in a place where you don't belong." Inuala began. "..Or feel like you don't belong. But, you're welcome here, even if Otousan acts like you aren't."

Masashi looked to the silver haired woman. "I can just go into the well again, right? It's not a one-sided thing?"

Inuala frowned a bit, averting her golden eyes. "Okaasan.. She used to be able to travel back and forth. Not anymore."

This made Masashi's heart sink. "No.." He was planning on saying more when the hut was suddenly intruded upon by a young man around the same age as Inuala and Ayano. His dark hair was ruffled and drenched with sweat.

"Yokai in the village!" He panted, looking to Inuyasha and Kagome for help. "Mother and Father are trying to hold them off, but there's so many!"

Kagome immediately turned towards her husband. "Inuyasha!

Normally, the hanyo would be itching for a fight. He could _easily _slay the yokai that Miroku and Sango were up against with Tessaiga. But..

He glanced over at Inuala. She still didn't know how to use Kibayari properly. Ayano and Emiko could probably use some fighting practice, too.

"Take Inuala and these new girls with you." Inuyasha instructed to his friends' son. "I'm not moving a muscle."

The man blinked but sighed, nodding. "Yessir." He turned to the girls, then Masashi. "What about him?"

"Take him outside just so he can believe what's going on." Inuyasha instructed to his daughter. "He needs to know what our world is really like."

Inuala nodded in response, grabbing Kibayari and the hand of the modern-era man, who gulped and obeyed while mentally panicking.

The other young man, Shoji, headed out to grab his weapon. "Dragging that guy into a fight..?" He murmured to himself. "He looks more like bait."

"How many yokai are there? How big are they?" Emiko asked as she, Inuala, and Ayano headed out of the hut with Shoji and Masashi. She looked all around the village.

"A whole swarm of them. Wasp yokai. _Saimyosho. _From what I saw, they've already killed a few farmers." Shoji's gaze hardened with anger as he gripped his sickle.

"If they're airborne, then.." Emiko suddenly sprouted her bat wings from her back and took to the skies.

"Holy shit." Masashi gasped when he saw the girl glide, backing away before Shoji grabbed him by the collar.

"You're not going anywhere." Shoji tried to think of something useful for the ordinary man to do.

Around the village, the saimyosho flew about as they caused havoc here and there. Several villagers lay on the ground with obvious stinger wounds.

"Damn!" Ayano cried out, gazing up at the saimyosho. "There's not a lot that we can do from down here, but.. Wait a second!" She had nearly forgotten that she had a projectile attack, although it wasn't very strong. She sent a flurry of razor sharp leaves at a particular grouping of saimyosho.

Upon being hit by the she-wolf's leafy projectile, that small group of saimyosho was shredded, the remains of their bodies falling to the ground.

A singular saimyosho made an attempt to dive bomb the group from the other side before Shoji launched his sickle at it, subsequently slicing the winged yokai in half. He promptly yanked on the chain of his sickle to retrieve it. In the meantime, Masashi was hiding behind a tree in cowardice, desperate to stay safe.

"_I have to be careful not to hurt anyone else in the process of slaying the saimyosho. I can't use my sonic blast attack." _Emiko thought to herself before unsheathing her simple, everyday katana and flying past a saimyosho, intending to cut it down the middle.

"_I can't do anything from down here!" _Inuala thought helplessly, gazing at Masashi. "_I could throw Kibayari as a projectile, but then I would have no way to defend myself!"_

The saimyosho that Emiko had targeted was cut down the median plane of its body and killed, but was quickly replaced with more of its kind.

Shoji sliced through a few of the winged yokai that were trying to harm an older woman. After he ordered her to run, he gritted his teeth. "_There's too many of them and I can hardly hit them!"_

Emiko grimaced, coming to a similar conclusion. "_I guess I have no choice.." _She thought to herself before crying out "Everyone, get down!" She took a deep breath. Upon letting it go, a series of sonic rings blasted from her mouth towards the oncoming saimyosho.

Masashi covered his ears, praying for the assault from the saimyosho to be over as he cowered from behind the tree. As he made that prayer, the yokai swarm was hit by Emiko's sonic blast. Most were killed instantly, whereas others fell to the ground in a daze.

Inuala took this opportunity to run over to one of the saimyosho that had fallen, wielding Kibayari. Her spear gave off an aura not unlike that of her father's Tessaiga as she went to spear the fallen insect.

The saimyosho that the hanpa had attacked died with a hiss, and Shoji, along with several villagers, could be seen stepping on the rest. All was finally calm.

Emiko landed on the ground near Masashi and his tree. She folded her wings before turning to him. "..Are you alright?"

"No." He let out, absolutely panic in his honey brown eyes. "I want to go home."

Shoji walked over to them, wiping bug guts off of his face. "Nothing was stopping you from picking up a sword."

Emiko scoffed a bit, though secretly felt somewhat bad for the modern-day human. "Even the human villagers were trying to fight back.." She mumbled, and then said "..So try to go home, it doesn't hurt to try, right?"

Masashi looked down, hot with shame. "Yeah.." he turned away, gazing at the village.

Shoji sighed at the mess that the village was in. "Damn bugs.."

"Hopefully it won't take too long to rebuild.." Inuala said while Emiko continued to gaze at masashi. The violet eyed hanpa then scoffed, averting said violet eyes.

Shoji nodded in agreement while masashi shuffled his feet. "So, um.. Goodbye, Give Kagome my thanks." He bowed politely and headed towards the Bone Eater's Well.

Shoji rolled his eyes, muttering "good riddance". "I'm going to go see if my parents are okay.."

"Oh, um, I'll go with you." Inuala offered to Shoji, seeing as she had a little bit of medicinal knowledge passed down from her mother that might prove useful if Miroku or Sango were hurt. Ayano and Emiko looked at each other as Masashi left, the she-wolf being the one to follow after him.

"_Maybe I should have helped.. I dunno.. I'm useless." _He sighed as he gazed down the well, the way back home.

Emiko sighed and followed after Ayano and Masashi from a distance. She pretended that it was just to make sure that Ayano didn't get into any trouble. Emiko watched from behind a bush as Ayano walked right up next to Masashi, promptly pushing him into the well to see what would happen.

Masashi cried out in surprise as he fell several feet, landing at the bottom of the dried out well with a thud.

Ayano peered over the edge of the well. "..Is he dead?"

Masashi groaned in response. "What did you do that for?"

"..To see if you could really time travel!" Ayano called down. By now, Emiko had run over to make sure that he was okay. However, she wouldn't have admitted that.

Masashi groaned once more, feeling sore as he cursed the she-wolf. "Could have given me a heads up.."

Emiko blinked. "..The well didn't transport you back. We should tell Kagome-San."

Masashi sighed in dismay "Dammit.." He sorely made his way back up out of the well, shooting Ayano a look before flopping onto the ground.

"I'm guessing you're too sore to walk?" Emiko asked, watching as Ayano sat on the ground beside Masashi.

Masashi rolled his shoulders, standing up. "No, I'm alright." Aftering seeing what the bat girl could do in battle, he really didn't want to be lifted into the air by her. He gazed at the well unhappily. "_So much for my vacation.." _

Ayano stood up as well, flipping one of her raven pigtails over her shoulder before heading back towards the village with Emiko, expecting the man to follow.

Masashi followed slowly, unhappy thoughts reeling in his mind. "_I'm fired for sure if I don't go back..!" _

Ayano glanced over her shoulder at him. Perhaps she was more sensitive than she seemed, because she suddenly asked "Hmm? What's with the long face?"

Masashi looked to the raven haired woman, expression down trodden. "I dunno how I will get home.. I have no useful skills to speak of, unless you all need something coded.." He sighed.

"Coded? You mean, like, translation?" Ayano asked, not understanding that he meant computer coding and whatnot. She thought that he meant translating runes and the like.

Masashi shook his head. "Not exactly.." His voice trailed off as he witnessed the villagers burning the corpses of the saimyosho.

Emiko glanced over her shoulder at Masashi, secretly feeling kind of bad for him. Deep down, she was a sweet, kind and gentle girl. But she put on a tough persona. She had to. Anyone who wasn't 100% human or 100% yokai in this world of theirs had it rough. She would have hated humans if it weren't for the fact that her beloved grandmother was one of them.

Before anyone could speak, Shoji interrupted them with his presence as he walked towards the group, gazing at the other man. "You're still here?"

Inuala came over with Shoji, then said "The portal in the well must not be working.. Okaasan will be so disappointed that she won't be able to use it to visit her other family.." After all this time, there had been a ray of hope for Kagome that she might see her mother, brother, and grandfather again.. If the latter was still alive after twenty or so years had gone by. Yes, she was happy with her husband, her daughter, and their friends in the feudal era. But there was still a part of her that missed her old life. It was inevitable.

"We can make it work again, right? Shout some incantation or something? You are a monk, aren't you?" Masashi had to guess based on the clothing that Shoji was wearing, earning him a look from the other man.

"We'll have to ask Okaasan about it." Inuala said suddenly. "She's the only person that I can think of who would have any idea as to how the well works." She thought back to her memories of Old Kaede from when she was a toddler. Oh, if that old miko was still alive, surely she would know.

Masashi grew hopeful hearing Inuala's words. "Then let's go." He was already heading towards the hut, and Shoji just shook his head as the women followed after.

"You're back!" Kagome smiled when she saw everyone returning. "You sure did a good job taking down those saimyosho. Wait a minute.. Why does everyone look so down in the dumps?"

While Masashi explained as much as he could, Kagome listened intently, nodding. Then, her chocolate eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait a moment..! The Blood Coral Crystal! It had magical barrier properties, so maybe.. If Emiko had her weapon forged from it.. It might be able to cut through the barrier stopping us from using the well?" Yes, Tessaiga had similar barrier cutting properties, but Kagome didn't want to risk her husband accidentally destroying the well with that sword of his.

Masashi and Shoji both blinked, having no idea what Kagome was talking about as Emiko suddenly spoke up. "Do you really think that will work?"

"It's the only thing that I can think of." Kagome responded. "You should hurry to Totosai as soon as possible and have him forge that weapon for you!"

Emiko went over and retrieved her travel sack from inside of the hut, pulling out her half of the Blood Coral Crystal and examining it as it glowed faintly. Inside of her bag, seashells clattered around. At least, it sounded as though they were seashells.

"Oh, Emiko-Chan!" Kagome came over and pulled a small scallop shell from her sleeve, one that had fallen out of the girl's bag the night before. "You have seashells on you, don't you? What for?"

Emiko looked a little surprised at first. "They're so abundant in my village, I thought someone might be able to make some armor out of the bigger ones. You know, armor for shoulders, elbows, knees-"

Kagome stopped her. "Leave your shells with me and I'll have something great for you when you return!"

"Eh?" Emiko blinked in surprise, but obeyed, gently dumping her collection of shells onto the grass just outside of the hut before she turned to everyone.

"Inuala-Chan and I should be going."

"E-eh? Why me?" Inuala squeaked, not realizing that her father had told Emiko to bring her along on the adventure.

"Why don't you just bring everyone with you?" Kagome smiled, thinking about how it would be just like her days adventuring with Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara..

Shoji suddenly looked determined. "If Inuala-Chan is going, then I will, too." He stated, holding his sickle close. "_She won't get hurt.. Not on my watch." _He then gazed at Masashi. "He's coming, too?" He secretly hoped not. He would just be a burden.

"If he's coming, then so am I!" Ayano cheered, referring to Masashi.

Masashi was sweating nervously as he panicked mentally. "D-don't I have a choice in the matter?"

"Seems not." Shoji shoved a small dagger of sorts in his face.

"I can't use that!" Masashi yelped, trying to hand it back.

"Why not?"

Emiko lifted her head, her pointed ears twitching a bit as she waited to see how Masashi would respond.

"I've.. Never used a weapon before." He murmured.

"..Are you afraid to?" Emiko let out, maintaining a poker face on her visage as well as in her voice.

Masashi continued to sweat nervously. "What if I said no..?"

Emiko said nothing in response, turning away from him. Masashi promptly slumped, feeling deflated and useless.

"We should get a move on." Emiko told the others, her back to the ordinary man.

"Agreed." Shoji nodded before heading off towards in own hut. "I'll meet you all when you're ready."

It was early in the afternoon when Shoji returned to the hut with a small, cream and black, twin-tailed cat yokai upon his shoulder.

Inuala blinked, immediately recognizing the feline. "You're bringing Kirara?"

"Of course." Shoji responded. "Not all of us can fly or run like the wind, after all." He glanced at Emiko and Ayano respectively.

Masashi's eyes, which had been gloomy up until now, widened in surprise upon seeing Kirara. "..Is that really the yokai that accompanied Inuyasha and Kagome on their journey?"

Shoji scoffed. "Are you forgetting that _my _parents were there, too? Kirara was from my mother's original village, after all." Shoji tossed the small feline yokai into the air, who engulfed herself in flames and transformed into a much larger and fiercer sabertooth cat yokai of sorts with a battle cry.

Masashi stared in horror at first, but then sighed. He wasn't surprised. Not anymore.

Shoji helped Inuala onto Kirara's back, just behind the beast's strong neck, then looked to the other man as he got on himself behind his female companion. "Come on, or you'll be left behind."

Masashi sighed, secretly wishing that he _would _be left behind as he climbed up behind Shoji.

Emiko sprouted her wings from her back, gazing at the only other full-blooded yokai in their group besides Kirara. "Will you be able to keep up on foot, Ayano-Chan?"

"Of course I will!" The she-wolf grinned. "I inherited speed from both my parents, afterall!" Ayano immediately look off in an inhuman sprint, leaving the others in the dust.

Emiko took off next, taking flight and soaring in the same direction that Ayano was headed in.

"Kirara!" Shoji called out to his family's yokai, who took to the skies with a roar and flames licking at her paws that did not seem to harm her.

Masashi felt adrenaline running through him as he rode the beast, the feeling akin to riding down the slope on a roller coaster track. He gripped the other man's clothing pathetically, not daring to see how high up they were.

Just a little longer. He just had to deal with it for a little longer until the barrier on the well was broken and he could go home.


End file.
